Nine Inch Nails
Un article de Vev.
Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American industrial rock band, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction.<ref name = "AMG" /> NIN's music straddles a wide range of genres, while retaining a characteristic sound using electronic instruments and processing. After recording a new album, Reznor usually assembles a live band to perform with him; this live component is a separate entity from Nine Inch Nails in the recording studio.<ref name="Industrial Introspection" /><ref name="Wigney" /> On stage, NIN often employs spectacular visual elements to accompany its performances, which frequently culminate with the band destroying their instruments.<ref name="Reimink" />
Underground music audiences warmly received Nine Inch Nails in its early years. The band produced several highly influential records in the 1990s that achieved widespread popularity: many Nine Inch Nails songs became radio hits,<ref name = "BillboardHistory" /> two NIN recordings won Grammy Awards, and the band has sold over twenty million albums worldwide,<ref name="Yahoo!Court" /> with 10.5 million sales certified in the United States alone.<ref name="RIAAbestsellers" /> In 2004, Rolling Stone placed Nine Inch Nails at 94 on their list of the 100 greatest rock artists of all time.<ref name="Bowie" /> In spite of this acclaim, the band has had several feuds with the corporate side of the recording industry. Trent Reznor announced in 2007 that Nine Inch Nails would proceed independently of record labels.<ref name="BBFreeAgent" />
In the past, NIN released major studio albums infrequently; remixes and live albums bridged these gaps in the band's catalog. Reznor cites his personal issues as the cause of these delays, and his songs often confront dark explorations of the self.<ref name="SMH" /> The most recent Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero, is an exception to the usually introspective nature of Reznor's songwriting and the long gestation between major releases.
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History
Early years
In 1987, Reznor played keyboards with a Cleveland band called the Exotic Birds, who were managed by John Malm, Jr. Reznor and Malm became friends, and when Reznor left the Exotic Birds to work on music of his own, Malm informally became his manager.<ref>Reznor v. J. Artist Management, Inc. et al., 365 F. Supp. 2d 565 (S.D.N.Y. 2005).</ref> Reznor was employed at that time as an assistant engineer and janitor at Right Track Studios,<ref name="AMG"> Huey, Steve
. Nine Inch Nails . All Music Guide
. Retrieved on 2006-11-24. </ref> and asked studio owner Bart Koster for permission to record some demos of his own songs for free during unused studio time. Koster agreed, remarking that it cost him "just a little wear on [his] tape heads".<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> While assembling these, the earliest NIN recordings, Reznor was unable to find a band that could articulate his songs as he wanted. Instead, inspired by Prince, he played all the instruments except drums himself.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> This role remains Reznor's on most of the band's studio recordings, though he has occasionally involved other musicians and assistants. In 1988, after playing its first shows supporting Skinny Puppy, Reznor's ambitions for Nine Inch Nails were to release one 12-inch single on a small European label.<ref name= "AP90">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Several labels responded favorably to the demo material, and Reznor signed with TVT Records.<ref name= "AMG" /> Nine selections from the Right Track demos were unofficially released in 1994 as Purest Feeling; many of these songs would appear in revised form on Pretty Hate Machine in 1989.
Reznor said in 1994 that he coined the name "Nine Inch Nails" because it "abbreviated easily", rather than for "any literal meaning".<ref name = "Axcess">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Other rumored explanations have circulated, alleging that Reznor chose to reference Jesus' crucifixion with nine-inch spikes,<ref name = "Shock">Modèle:Cite book</ref> or Freddy Krueger's nine-inch fingernails.<ref> Klosterman , Chuck
(March 1992) . Arriving late to the Nine Inch Nails party . Spin
. Retrieved on 2006-11-01. </ref> Reznor and Gary Talpas designed the Nine Inch Nails logo, which consists of the letters "NIN" set inside a border with the second "N" mirrored. The logo first appeared on NIN's debut, "Down in It", and was inspired by Tibor Kalman's typography on the Talking Heads album Remain in Light.<ref> Reznor , Trent
(2004-07-21) . Response from Trent . Nine Inch Nails
. Retrieved on 2006-10-22. </ref> Talpas, a native of Cleveland, would continue to design NIN packaging art until 1997.<ref> Trent Reznor: area co-conspirators
. Cleveland.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. </ref>
Pretty Hate Machine
Written, arranged, and performed by Trent Reznor, NIN's first album Pretty Hate Machine debuted in 1989. It marked Reznor's first collaboration with Adrian Sherwood (who produced the lead single "Down in It" in London, England without having met Reznor face-to-face)<ref name = "AP90" /> and Mark "Flood" Ellis. Flood's production would appear on each major Nine Inch Nails release until 1994, and Sherwood has done remixes for the band as recently as 2000. Reznor and his co-producers expanded upon the Purest Feeling demos, and added future singles "Head Like a Hole" and "Sin". Rolling Stone's Michael Azerrad described the album as "industrial-strength noise over a pop framework" and "harrowing but catchy music";<ref name="RS Azerrad">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Reznor proclaimed this combination "a sincere statement" of "what was in [his] head at the time".<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> After spending 113 weeks on the Billboard 200,<ref name="PHM 200"> The Billboard 200 - Pretty Hate Machine
. Billboard
. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. </ref> Pretty Hate Machine became one of the first independently released records to attain platinum certification.<ref name="AMG" /> MTV aired videos for "Down in It" and "Head Like a Hole", but an explicit video for "Sin" was only released on the 1997 home video Closure.
In 1990, NIN toured North America as an opening act for alternative rock artists such as Peter Murphy and The Jesus and Mary Chain.<ref name="AMG" /> At some point, Reznor would begin smashing his equipment while on stage; Rockbeat interviewer Mike Gitter attributed NIN's early success in front of rock oriented audiences to this aggressive attitude.<ref name = "Rockbeat">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Nine Inch Nails then embarked on a world tour that continued through the first Lollapalooza festival in 1991, where the band "stole the show" from headliners Jane's Addiction despite numerous equipment problems.<ref name = "Huxley">Modèle:Cite book</ref> After a disastrous European reception opening for Guns N' Roses, NIN returned to America amid pressure from TVT to produce a more commercial follow-up to Pretty Hate Machine. In response, Reznor secretly began recording under various pseudonyms to avoid record company interference.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref>
Broken
In his liner notes, Trent Reznor credits the 1991 Nine Inch Nails touring band as an influence on the 1992 Broken EP's six songs and two bonus tracks. Reznor characterized the EP as a guitar-based "blast of destruction", which was intentionally "a lot harder[...] than Pretty Hate Machine".<ref name="Shock" /> Songs from Broken have garnered NIN their only two Grammy Awards: a performance of the EP's first single "Happiness in Slavery" from Woodstock '94,<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" /> and the second single "Wish".<ref name="AwardsDatabase" />
Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson of the bands Coil and Throbbing Gristle directed a performance video for "Wish",<ref> Wish
. Painful Convictions (2007)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. </ref> but the EP's most infamous video accompanied "Happiness in Slavery". The video was almost universally banned for its graphic depiction of performance artist Bob Flanagan disrobing in front of the camera and lying on a machine that pleasures, tortures, then kills him.<ref name="Stone94">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> A third video for "Pinion", partially incorporated into MTV's Alternative Nation opening sequence, showed a toilet that apparently flushes into the mouth of an individual in bondage.<ref> Pinion
. Painful Convictions (2007)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. </ref> Reznor and Christopherson compiled these three clips along with footage for "Help Me I Am In Hell" and "Gave Up" into a longform music video also called Broken. It depicts the murder of a young man who is kidnapped and tortured while forced to watch the videos. This footage was never officially released, but instead appeared covertly among tape trading circles.<ref name="Stone94" />
A separate performance video for "Gave Up" featuring Richard Patrick and Marilyn Manson was filmed at 10050 Cielo Drive (then renamed "Le Pig studios" by Reznor), site of the Tate murders;<ref name = "AMG" /> a live recording of "Wish" was also filmed, and both videos appeared on the Closure compilation in 1997.<ref> Gave Up
. Painful Convictions (2007)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. </ref> Broken was followed by the remix EP Fixed in late 1992. Rather than tour in support of the new material, Reznor began living and recording full-time at Le Pig, working on a follow-up free of restrictions from his record label. The Downward Spiral was the result of this creative environment.
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails' second full-length album, The Downward Spiral, entered the Billboard 200 in 1994 at number two,<ref> Trent Reznor: Timeline
. Cleveland.com
. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. </ref> and it remains the highest-selling NIN release in the United States.<ref name="RIAA.com" /> Influenced by late-1970s rock albums Low and The Wall, The Downward Spiral features a wide range of textures and moods to illustrate the mental progress of a central character.<ref name = "Details">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> In his last work with the band to date, Flood once again co-produced several tracks; his longtime collaborator Alan Moulder mixed most of The Downward Spiral and took on more extensive production duties for subsequent NIN releases.
The album spawned two singles: "March of the Pigs" and "Closer"; "Hurt" and "Piggy" were issued to radio without a commercial single release. The music video for "Closer", directed by Mark Romanek, received frequent rotation on MTV after the network made edits to it.<ref name="Closer video"> Nine Inch Nails: Closure (VHS)
. DeepFocus.com
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref> A radio edit that partially mutes the song's explicit lyrics also received extensive airtime.<ref name= "BillboardHistory" /> "Hurt" enjoyed renewed success when it was covered by Johnny Cash in 2002, and Reznor has stated that hearing Cash's cover revitalized his interest in writing music.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref> The Closure video documented highlights from NIN's Self Destruct tour, including full live videos of "Eraser", "Hurt" and a one-take "March of the Pigs" clip made for MTV.
Critical response to The Downward Spiral has generally been favorable: in 2005 the album was ranked 25th in Spin's list of the "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005",<ref name="Spin100">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> and in 2003 Rolling Stone ranked the album number 200 on their "500 greatest albums of all time" list.<ref name="200great500"> The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
. Rolling Stone (2003-11-18)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref> After The Downward Spiral, Reznor produced a remix album entitled Further Down the Spiral, the only non-major NIN release to be certified gold in the United States.<ref name="RIAA.com" /> It featured contributions from electronic musician Aphex Twin, producer Rick Rubin, and former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. Two versions of Further Down the Spiral were released in 1995, both featuring exclusive content. A tenth anniversary deluxe reissue of The Downward Spiral was released in 2004.<ref> Hiatt , Brian
(2005-03-25) . DualDisc format takes off . Rolling Stone.com
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref>
The Self Destruct tour in support of the album reached its widest mainstream audience with a mud-drenched performance at Woodstock '94 that was broadcast on Pay-Per-View and seen in as many as 24 million homes.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Nine Inch Nails received considerable mainstream success thereafter, performing with significantly higher production values and adding theatrical visual elements to the live show.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Around this time, Reznor's studio perfectionism,<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> struggles with addiction, and bouts of writer's block prolonged the production of a follow-up record.<ref name = "Hell">Modèle:Cite journal</ref>
The Fragile
Five years elapsed between The Downward Spiral and NIN's next major album, The Fragile, which arrived as a double CD in September 1999.<ref name= "Bleak" /> On the heels of NIN's previous successes, media anticipation surrounded The Fragile more than a year before its arrival,<ref>"
NIN Album on Horizon " , Daily News Online , August 1998 . </ref> when it was already described as "oft-delayed".<ref>Modèle:Cite journal.</ref> When the album was finally released, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 228,000 copies in one week and receiving favorable reviews.<ref name= "Bleak"/> Spin hailed The Fragile as the "album of the year", and several songs from it were regular features on alternative rock radio stations.<ref> Kaufman, Gil . " Rock radio pumps up volume " , SonicNet News , 1999-12-02 . Retrieved on 2006-10-28 . </ref> However, the album slipped out of the Billboard Top 10 only a week after its release, and Reznor was forced to pay for the subsequent North American tour out of his own pocket.<ref name="Bleak">Modèle:Cite journal</ref>
According to Reznor, The Fragile was conceived by making "songwriting and arranging and production and sound design [...] the same thing. A song would start with a drum loop or a visual and eventually a song would emerge out of it and that was the song."<ref> Moss, Corey
(May 2005) . The upward spiral . MTV
. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. </ref> Canadian rock producer Bob Ezrin was consulted on the album's track listing; the liner notes state that he "provided final continuity and flow."
Before the album's release, the song "Starfuckers, Inc." provoked media speculation about whom Reznor had intended its acerbic lyrics to satirize.<ref> Kaufman, Gil
. " Provocative, pounding new NIN songs leaked to radio " , SonicNet News , 1999-07-14 . Retrieved on 2006-10-28 . .</ref> Cinesexuality critic Patricia MacCormack interprets the song as a "scathing attack on the alternative music scene", particularly Reznor's former friend and protégé Marilyn Manson.<ref> MacCormack , Patricia
. All the fun of the (not so) fair . PopMatters
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref> The two artists put aside their differences when Manson co-directed and appeared in the song's music video, retitled "Starsuckers, Inc." and performed on stage with NIN at Madison Square Garden in 2000. Nine Inch Nails released three commercial singles from the album in different territories: "The Day the World Went Away" in North America; "We're in This Together" in the EU and Japan (on three separate discs); and an EP with "Into the Void" as its lead track in Australia. MTV aired videos for the latter two tracks, as well as "Starsuckers, Inc."
Reznor followed The Fragile with another remix album, Things Falling Apart, released after the 2000 Fragility tour, which itself was recorded and released on CD, DVD, and VHS in 2002 as And All that Could Have Been. A deluxe edition of the live CD came with the companion disc Still, featuring stripped-down re-interpretations of songs from the band's entire career along with several new pieces of music.
With Teeth
Nine Inch Nails' fourth full-length album, With Teeth, was released in 2005, though it was leaked prior to its official release date. The album was written and recorded following Reznor's battle with alcoholism and substance abuse.<ref name="SMH"> Roberts, Jo
(2005-08-05) . Hammer time over . Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved on 2006-11-28. </ref> Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield described the album as "vintage Nine Inch Nails",<ref name="RS With Teeth review"> Sheffield , Rob
(2005-05-05) . Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth . Rolling Stone
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref> while Robert Christgau criticized the album as "shtick".<ref name = "Christgau With Teeth review"> Christgau , Robert
. Nine Inch Nails
. Retrieved on 2006-08-25. </ref> Like The Fragile, With Teeth debuted on top of the Billboard 200.<ref name="BillboardHistory"> Artist Chart History - Nine Inch Nails
. Billboard
. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. </ref> The album's package art lacks typical liner notes; it simply lists the names of songs and co-producers, and the URL for an online PDF poster with lyrics and full credits.<ref> With Teeth: Online Content
. Nine Inch Nails
. Retrieved on 2006-12-24. </ref> The entire album was made available in streaming audio on the band's official MySpace page in advance of its release date.<ref> Smaller bands: web propels music sales
. NPR (2005-05-01)
. Retrieved on 2006-10-22. </ref>
A promotional video for the song "The Hand That Feeds" premiered on NIN's website in March 2005, rather than the traditional music channels, and Trent Reznor released the source files for "The Hand that Feeds" in GarageBand format a month later, allowing fans to remix the song.<ref name= "March05">
Current . Nine Inch Nails (2005-04-15)
. Archived from the original on 2005-04-20.
Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
</ref> This release spawned an unofficial remix contest, in which over 500 fan remixes were submitted.<ref> NINRemixes.com History
. Retrieved on 2007-05-08.
</ref> Reznor also released the source files for the album's second single "Only" in a wider range of formats, including Pro Tools and ACID Pro; fans were also invited to access the band's official MySpace page to upload remixes, vote for favorites, and comment about them in a blog.<ref> NIN remixes
. MySpace
. Retrieved on 2006-12-24. </ref> David Fincher directed a video for "Only" using primarily computer-generated imagery. The third single, "Every Day Is Exactly the Same", was released in April 2006 along with an EP of With Teeth remixes, but a planned music video was reportedly scrapped in the post-production stage.<ref> EDIETS
. The NIN Hotline (2006-04-13)
. Retrieved on 2006-11-28. </ref> The song topped Billboard's 2006 year-end Hot Dance Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts.<ref> Billboard 2006 Year in Music
. Billboard (2006-12-17)
. Retrieved on 2006-12-19. </ref>
Nine Inch Nails launched a North American arena tour in autumn 2005, supported by Queens of the Stone Age and Autolux.<ref> Harris , Chris
(2005-09-30) . Nine Inch Nails Postpone Show Due To Drummer's Heart Trouble . MTV.com
. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. </ref> Another opening act on this tour, hip-hop artist Saul Williams, performed on stage with Nine Inch Nails at the Voodoo Music Experience festival during a headlining appearance in hurricane-stricken New Orleans, Reznor's former home.<ref> Spera , Keith
(2005-11-01) . Rockin' relief
. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. </ref> To conclude the With Teeth era of the band, NIN completed a tour of North American amphitheaters in the summer of 2006, joined by Bauhaus, TV on the Radio, and Peaches.<ref name= "AMG" /> In late 2006, the official NIN website announced that a tour documentary entitled Beside You in Time would be released in three formats: DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.<ref name="BYIT formats"> Nine Inch Nails : Live: Beside You in Time DVD
. Artistdirect
. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. </ref> After taking a break to complete work on a follow-up album, NIN embarked on a world tour in 2007. Trent Reznor personally invited Ladytron to open for the band in Europe.<ref> Ladytron goes on tour with NIN
. Side-Line (2007-02-27)
. Retrieved on 2007-02-27. </ref>
Year Zero
Nine Inch Nails' latest studio album, Year Zero, was released only two years after With Teeth. With its lyrics written from the perspective of multiple fictitious characters, Reznor described Year Zero as a concept album criticizing the United States government's current policies and how they will impact the world 15 years in the future.<ref> Gregory , Jason
(2007-03-26) . Trent Reznor Blasts the American Government . Gigwise.com
. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. </ref> Critical response to the album was generally favorable, with an average rating of 76% on MetaCritic. Robert Christgau described Year Zero as Reznor's "most songful album."<ref name="Christgau YZ"> Christgau , Robert
(June 2007) . June 2007: Nine Inch Nails It, But Aguilera Is a Dud . MSN Music
. Retrieved on 2007-09-10. </ref>
An alternate reality game emerged parallel to the Year Zero concept, expanding upon its storyline. Clues hidden on tour merchandise initially led fans to discover a network of fictitious, in-game websites that describe an "Orwellian picture of the United States circa the year 2022".<ref name="MTVNews"> Montgomery, James
(2007-02-15) . Weird web trail: conspiracy theory — or marketing for nine inch nails LP? . MTV News
. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. </ref> Before Year Zero's release, unheard songs from the album were reportedly found on USB drives hidden at NIN concert venues in Europe.<ref name="CoolerThanLost"> Year Zero Project = Way Cooler Than Lost
. Rolling Stone (2007-02-22)
. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. </ref> Fan participation in the alternate reality game caught the attention of media outlets such as USA Today and Billboard, who have cited fan-site The NIN Hotline, forum Echoing the Sound, fan club The Spiral, and NinWiki as sources for new discoveries.<ref> Matheson , Whitney
(2007-02-15) . NIN's web of intrigue . USA Today
. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. </ref><ref> Elizabeth Goodman
(2007-02-15) . NIN fans = marketing team's dream . Rolling Stone
. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. </ref>
The album's first single, "Survivalism", and other tracks from Year Zero were released as multitrack audio files for fans to remix.<ref> Multitracks for 3 YZ songs posted on nin.com
. The NIN Hotline (2007-04-26)
. Retrieved on 2007-04-27. </ref> A posting on the official NIN website announced the official Year Zero Remixed compilation,<ref> Thompson , Paul
(2007-08-17) . The Faint Remix NIN for Year Zero Remix Album . Pitchfork Media
. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. </ref> which is Nine Inch Nails' final new release on a major record label as of November 20, 2007.<ref> Nine Inch Nails Announce Remix Album Details
. FMQB (2007-10-12)
. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. </ref> The remix album was accompanied by an interactive remix site with multi-track downloads and the ability to post remixes,<ref> remix.nin.com
. nin.com
. Retrieved on 2007-11-27. </ref> after legal issues delayed its debut.
Influence
Nine Inch Nails has influenced many newer artists, which according to Reznor range from "generic imitations" dating from NIN's initial success to younger bands echoing his style in a "truer, less imitative way."<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Following the release of The Downward Spiral, mainstream artists began to take notice of Nine Inch Nails' influence: David Bowie compared NIN's impact to that of The Velvet Underground.<ref name= "Bowie">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> In 1997, Reznor appeared in Time magazine's list of the year's most influential people, and Spin magazine described him as "the most vital artist in music."<ref name="Time">Modèle:Cite journal</ref> The RIAA certified sales for 10.5 million units of the band's albums in the United States,<ref name="RIAAbestsellers"> Best Sellers: Gold & Platinum Top Artists
. Recording Industry Association of America (2006-07-31)
. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. </ref> which accounts for roughly half of the band's reported sales worldwide.<ref name="Yahoo!Court"> Amter , Charlie
(2005-05-17) . Reznor Bares Teeth in Court . Yahoo! Music
. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. </ref> Bob Ezrin, producer for Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Peter Gabriel, described Reznor in 2007 as a "true visionary" and advised aspiring artists to take note of his no-compromise attitude.<ref> Lostracco , Marc
(2007-04-19) . 'Thank God for Trent Reznor' . The Torontoist
. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. </ref> During a rare appearance at the Kerrang! Awards in London that year, Nine Inch Nails accepted the Kerrang! Icon, honoring the band's long-standing influence on rock music.<ref> Kerrang Awards revealed
. BBC 6 (2007-08-23)
. Retrieved on 2007-09-12. </ref>
Musical characteristics
All Music Guide's Steve Huey states that "Nine Inch Nails were the most popular industrial group ever and were largely responsible for bringing the music to a mass audience."<ref name="AMG" /> Reznor has never referred to his own work as industrial music, but admits to borrowing techniques from such early industrial bands as Throbbing Gristle and Test Dept.<ref name="Axcess" /> Despite the disparity between those artists initially operating under the term "industrial" and Nine Inch Nails, it has become common in journalistic descriptions of Reznor's body of work to describe it as such. In actuality, the band's output has covered a wide range of genres: though Reznor acknowledged in Spin magazine that "Down in It" was influenced by early Skinny Puppy, particularly their song "Dig It", other songs from Pretty Hate Machine were described in the same interview as synth-pop.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> Reviewing The Fragile, critic Steve Cooper noted that the album juxtaposes widely varied genres, such as solo piano in "The Frail" and drum and bass elements in "Starfuckers, Inc."<ref> Cooper , Steve
(1999-09-24) . NIN's new effort threads the line between beauty and destruction . The Cavalier Daily
. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref>
Certain techniques and styles can be found throughout NIN's catalog. Songs such as "Wish" (Modèle:Audio-nohelp) and "The Day the World Went Away" (Modèle:Audio-nohelp) exhibit changes in dynamics, changing from quiet to loud and back again, and end with an abrupt stop. Reznor's singing follows a similar pattern, frequently moving from whispers to screams. The band's music also occasionally features complex time signatures, notably in "The Collector", from With Teeth,<ref name = "PopMatters review"> Schiller, Mike
(2005-05-18) . "Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth" . PopMatters
. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. </ref> and concert favourite "March of the Pigs".<ref> Nash, Rob
. " Arts reviews: Nine Inch Nails " , The Independent , 2005-04-05 . Retrieved on 2006-12-20 . Archived at FindArticles.com.</ref> Reznor also uses noise and distortion in his song arrangements, and incorporates dissonance with chromatic melody and/or harmony. These techniques are all used in the song "Hurt" (Modèle:Audio-nohelp), which features a highly dissonant tritone played on guitar during the verses, a B5#11, emphasized when Reznor sings the eleventh note on the word "I" every time the B/F dyad is played.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref> "Closer" (Modèle:Audio-nohelp) concludes with a chromatic piano motif: the same melody that recurs on the title track of The Downward Spiral.<ref name = "PopMatters review" /> On The Fragile, Reznor revisits this technique of repeating a motif multiple times throughout different songs, either on a different musical instrument, with a transposed harmony, or in an altered tempo.<ref> Marburger, Lex
(May 2000) . The Fragile . Lollipop Online
. Retrieved on 2006-12-20. </ref>
Band members
Nine Inch Nails as a live band is generally understood to be a separate entity from its recording studio-based component.<ref name="Industrial Introspection"> Branwyn , Gareth
(1991-06-19) . Industrial Introspection . Mondo 2000 5
. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
Archived at WELL.</ref><ref name="Wigney"> Allan Wigney
(2006-03-03) . NIN keyboardist having a blast . Ottawa Sun
. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
Archived at Canadian Online Explorer.</ref> Occasionally, past band members are invited to participate in the process, but when not directly involved with recording new material, Nine Inch Nails' lineup tends to change drastically between major tours. Aside from Trent Reznor remaining on lead vocals and guitar, nothing about the live band has remained constant since its inception. Reznor cited the long gestation period between studio albums as part of the reason for these frequent personnel changes.<ref> Trent Reznor talks to Ian Camfield. Xfm London . 2005-07-22. </ref> Beginning in late 2005, the live band featured Aaron North on guitar, Jeordie White on bass guitar, Alessandro Cortini on keyboards, and Josh Freese on drums, though all occasionally performed with different instruments.<ref name = "Reimink"> Reimink, Troy . " Changes in songs, lineup keep Nails sharp " , Grand Rapids Press , 2007-03-05 , pp. D1 . </ref> This lineup toured Europe, Asia, Australia, and America through 2007.<ref> Performance 2007 tour dates . Nine Inch Nails (2006-02-03)
. Retrieved on 2006-02-07. </ref> Trent Reznor reported that he would disband the "rock band configuration" of his touring lineup after their concert in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 18, 2007, and would explore other means to perform Nine Inch Nails material on subsequent tours.<ref> Chun , Gary
(2007-09-14) . Reznor's edge cuts NIN's bleak outlook . Honolulu Star-Bulletin
. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. </ref>
Corporate entanglements
Trent Reznor is an outspoken critic of the music industry, particularly corporate influence on his artistic freedom. As a result, Nine Inch Nails has clashed with several corporations, culminating in a decision to proceed as a free agent without any recording label contracts.
- In the early 1990s, Nine Inch Nails was involved in a much-publicized feud with TVT Records, the first record label to sign the band. Reznor objected to the label's attempted interference with his intellectual property.<ref name = "Shock" /> Ultimately, they entered into a joint venture with Interscope Records in which Reznor forfeited a portion of his publishing rights to TVT Music in exchange for the freedom of having his own Nothing Records imprint.<ref name = "Huxley" /> In 2005, Reznor sued his former friend and manager John Malm, co-founder of Nothing, for fraud, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, and other claims.<ref>Modèle:Cite journal </ref> Their relationship was formally severed in a New York courtroom, with damages awarded to Reznor in excess of three million US dollars.<ref name = "E! Online"> Amter, Charlie
(2005-05-27) . Reznor bails on MTV, nails manager . E! Online
. Retrieved on 2006-11-28. </ref>
- At the behest of Prudential Securities bankruptcy proceedings, TVT put the rights to Reznor's recordings for the label on auction in 2005. This offer included the whole TVT catalog, including Pretty Hate Machine and a percentage of royalties from Reznor's song publishing company, Leaving Hope Music/TVT Music. Rykodisc, who did not win the auction but were able to license the rights from Prudential, re-issued the out-of-print Pretty Hate Machine CD on November 22, 2005.<ref> Rykodisk to reissue pretty hate machine *updated*
. The NIN Hotline (2005-10-27)
. Retrieved on 2006-11-28. </ref> Ryko also reissued the "Head Like a Hole" CD and a vinyl edition of Pretty Hate Machine on January 31, 2006. They considered releasing a deluxe edition, just as Interscope had done for The Downward Spiral; however, Reznor declined to produce it for them without payment.<ref name = "Toronto Sun"> Ladouceur, Liisa
. " Reznor grits his teeth " , The Toronto Sun , 2005-11-08 . Retrieved on 2006-10-22 . </ref>
- Nine Inch Nails were scheduled to perform at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, but dropped themselves from the show due to a disagreement with the network over the use of an unaltered image of George W. Bush as a backdrop to the band's performance of "The Hand that Feeds". Soon afterwards, Reznor wrote on the official NIN website: "apparently, the image of our president is as offensive to MTV as it is to me".<ref name= "E! Online" /> MTV replied that they respected Reznor's point of view, but were "uncomfortable" with the performance being "built around partisan political statements". A performance by the Foo Fighters replaced NIN's time slot on the show.<ref name="MTV Awards"> Montgomery , James
(2005-05-27) . Nine Inch Nails Drop Out Of MTV Movie Awards Over Bush Dispute . MTV
. Retrieved on 2007-08-20. </ref>
- In 2006, after being alerted by a fan website, Reznor issued a cease and desist to Fox News for using three songs from The Fragile on air without permission. The songs "La Mer", "The Great Below", and "The Mark Has Been Made" appeared in an episode of War Stories with Oliver North detailing the battle of Iwo Jima.<ref> Fox News, War Stories, and Nine Inch Nails
. The NIN Hotline (2006-10-23)
. Retrieved on 2006-11-29. </ref> A post appeared on Reznor's blog, which read: "Thanks for the Fox News heads-up. A cease and desist has been issued.<ref name="Music Towers FOX News"> Trent Reznor issues a cease and desist to Fox News
. Music Towers (2007-10-25)
. Retrieved on 2007-08-22. </ref><ref name="FOX archive">
Reznor , Trent
(2006-10-24) . Updates from Trent . Nine Inch Nails
. Archived from the original on 2006-10-24.
Retrieved on 2007-08-22. Archived at The NIN Hotline.</ref>
- As part of the alternate reality game which accompanied the release of Year Zero, three tracks from the album were intentionally "leaked" prior to their official release at a number of NIN concerts on USB flash drives.<ref name="CoolerThanLost" /> The high-quality audio files quickly circulated the internet, and owners of websites hosting the files soon received cease and desist orders from the Recording Industry Association of America, despite the fact that the viral campaign, and the use of USB drives, was sanctioned by Nine Inch Nails' record label.<ref name="BillboardPaolette"> Paoletta , Michael
(2007-03-30) . Online Odyssey Stoking Interest In New NIN Album . Billboard
. Retrieved on 2007-05-20. </ref> The source that broke the story was quoted as saying "These fucking idiots are going after a campaign that the label signed off on."<ref name="BillboardPaolette" />
Copyright and intellectual properties conflict with Universal Music Group
In May 2007, Reznor made a post on the official Nine Inch Nails website condemning Universal Music Group (parent company of Nine Inch Nails's record label, Interscope Records) for their pricing and distribution plans for Year Zero.<ref name="RollingStoneKreps"> Kreps , Daniel
(2007-05-14) . Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor Slams Records Labels for Sorry State of the Industry . Rolling Stone
. Retrieved on 2007-05-19. </ref> He criticized the company's retail pricing of Year Zero in Australia as "ABSURD",Modèle:Sic concluding that "as a reward for being a 'true fan' you get ripped off". Reznor went on to say that as "the climate grows more and more desperate for record labels, their answer to their mostly self-inflicted wounds seems to be to screw the consumer over even more."<ref name="UMG">
Reznor , Trent
(2007-05-13) . Updates from Trent . Nine Inch Nails
. Archived from the original on 2007-05-17.
Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
</ref> Reznor's post, specifically his criticism of the recording industry at large, elicited considerable media attention.<ref name="Reznor Smashes UMG"> Reznor Smashes UMG, Websites Write About It
. The NIN Hotline (2007-05-17)
. Retrieved on 2007-05-19. </ref>
In September 2007, Reznor continued his attack on UMG at a concert in Australia, urging fans there to "steal" his music online instead of purchasing it legally.<ref> Moses , Asher
(2007-09-18) . Nails frontman urges fans to steal music . Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. </ref> Reznor went on to encourage the crowd to "steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin'."<ref> Trent follows up on Universal AU
. The NIN Hotline (2007-09-16)
. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. </ref>
Reznor announced on October 8, 2007 that Nine Inch Nails had fulfilled its contractual commitments to Interscope Records and was now free to proceed as a "totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label".<ref name="BBFreeAgent"> Cohen, Jonathan
(2007-10-08) . Nine Inch Nails Celebrates Free Agent Status . Billboard.com
. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. </ref> Reznor also speculated that he would release the next NIN album online in a similar fashion to The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, which he produced.<ref> Westhoff, Ben
(2007-10-30) . Trent Reznor and Saul Williams discuss their new collaboration... . New York Magazine
. Retrieved on 2007-10-31. </ref>
Via another post on the official NIN website, Reznor again openly criticized Universal Music Group for preventing him from launching an official interactive fan remix website, http://remix.nin.com. Universal declined to host the site just days before its scheduled launch, citing the potential "accusation", in Reznor's words, "that they are sponsoring the same technical violation of copyright they are suing [other media companies] for."<ref> Kreps, Daniel
(2007-11-20) . Trent Reznor puts new NIN site on hold . Rolling Stone
. Retrieved on 2007-11-21. </ref> Reznor wrote in response that he was "challenged at the last second to find a way of bringing this idea to life without getting splashed by the urine as these media companies piss all over each other's feet".<ref> Universal vs. YouTube and MySpace takes its first casualty: Nine Inch Nails
. Digg (2007-11-19)
. Retrieved on 2007-11-19. </ref> Despite these challenges, the remix website was launched on November 27, 2007.
Discography
Nine Inch Nails has produced six major studio releases:
- 1989: Pretty Hate Machine
- 1992: Broken
- 1994: The Downward Spiral
- 1999: The Fragile
- 2005: With Teeth
- 2007: Year Zero
In addition, the band has released numerous remix albums, singles with extensive b-sides, and tour documentaries. Most of these are labeled with halos, a sequential numbering system that has been applied to most official NIN releases.
Nine Inch Nails has also recorded five songs specifically for film soundtracks: a cover of Joy Division's "Dead Souls" for The Crow, "Burn" and a reworked version of "Something I Can Never Have" for Natural Born Killers in 1994; "The Perfect Drug" for 1997's Lost Highway; and, in 2001, "Deep" for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.<ref name="RS discography"> Nine Inch Nails
. Discogs
. Retrieved on 2007-09-20. </ref> Other film music, such as "You Know What You Are?" from Clint Mansell's Doom soundtrack, constitutes remixes of the band's official catalog by other artists.<ref name="Doom soundtrack"> Doom Soundtrack
. Soundtrack.net
. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. </ref> Reznor himself has remixed a number of songs by other artists, but only a few are credited to NIN. The original music from the video game Quake is credited to "Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails";<ref> Full cast and crew for Quake (1996) (VG)
. IMDB
. Retrieved on 2007-09-18. </ref> the band helped record sound effects for the video game, and the NIN logo also appears on ammunition boxes in the game.<ref name="Wired Quake"> Laidlaw , Marc
(August 1996) . The Egos at Id . Wired News
. Retrieved on 2007-09-09. </ref>
Prospective re-releases
Reznor has stated that he would like to release remastered editions of Pretty Hate Machine, Broken/Fixed, and The Fragile akin to The Downward Spiral tenth anniversary re-release.<ref>
Reznor , Trent
(2004-12-03) . Responses from Trent . Archived from the original on 2007-03-20. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
</ref> A deluxe two-disc DVD version of Closure was delivered to Interscope Records in 2004, but has been indefinitely delayed.<ref name= "March05" /> Both discs appeared on BitTorrent networks in December 2006.<ref> Closer to Closure?
. The NIN Hotline (2005-12-12)
. Retrieved on 2006-11-28. </ref>
Awards
RIAA certifications
These statistics were compiled from the RIAA certification online database.<ref name="RIAA.com"> Gold and Platinum database
. Recording Industry Association of America
. Retrieved on 2007-08-10. </ref>
- Pretty Hate Machine (Triple platinum — May 2003)
- Broken (Platinum — December 1992)
- The Downward Spiral (Quadruple platinum — October 199Image:Cool.gif
- Further Down the Spiral (Gold — June 1996)
- The Fragile (Double platinum — January 2000)
- With Teeth (Gold — July 2005)
Grammy Awards and nominations
Nine Inch Nails has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards and has won twice. Winning nominations are listed below in bold.
- "Wish" — Best Metal Performance, 1992<ref name="AwardsDatabase"> Awards Database
. Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved on 2007-11-10. </ref>
- The Downward Spiral — Best Alternative Music Performance, 1994 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "Happiness in Slavery" — Best Metal Performance, 1995 (from Woodstock '94 compilation)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "Hurt" — Best Rock Song, 1995 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "The Perfect Drug" — Best Hard Rock Performance, 1997 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- The Fragile — Best Alternative Music Performance, 1999 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "Starfuckers, Inc." — Best Metal Performance, 1999 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "Into the Void" — Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, 2000 (nomination)<ref name = "AwardsDatabase" />
- "The Hand That Feeds" — Best Hard Rock Performance, 2005 (nomination)<ref> 48th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee List
. The Recording Academy
. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. </ref>
- "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" — Best Hard Rock Performance, 2006 (nomination)<ref> 49th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee List
. The Recording Academy
. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. </ref>
References
External links
- nin.com − official website
- The Spiral − official fan club
- ninwiki.com
- Modèle:MySpace-music
- Modèle:Allmusicguide
- Modèle:MusicBrainz artist
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